By Jesse Graham
An ovarian cancer awareness walk down the Warburton Trail later this month has already smashed its fund-raising goal, raising more than $14,000 by the end of January.
Sue Contarino’s Walk with Me event, which last year saw more than 80 people walk down the trail in support of the teacher and ovarian cancer research, raised $12,762 in 2016.
Ms Contarino said that, by 31 January this year, more than $14,000 had already been collected, with about 300 people to be involved in the event when it comes around on Sunday, 26 February.
This will be the second year that the event is being held, after Ms Contarino was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in November 2013. After treatment, she experienced a recurrence in April 2015.
She said she hoped the walk would encourage women to be more aware of the symptoms for ovarian cancer – which are often mistaken for other illnesses – and to ask for a test if concerned.
“They are interchangeable,” she said.
“Women’s bloating can be related to too much pasta, breads, carbohydrates … you could have intolerances, you could have allergies – going to the loo all the time is simply drinking lots, and being tired? Well, most women are tired, whether they’re working or with their children, and pain around that area of the abdomen is associated with wind or irritable bowel syndrome.
“So there’s a lot of reasons why women tend to turn a blind eye, and doctors don’t push it – this is why I’m trying to wake up women to ask the question, ‘Can we do a test, please?’.”
After last year’s event, Ms Contarino said two sisters from Queensland got in contact to share their story of losing their third sister to ovarian cancer.
The two will be flying down to Victoria to take part in the walk, tag-teaming the 42 kilometre stretch with their husbands under the team banner of Mary’s Marathon.
BankVic, which last year gave Ms Contarino their Community Hero Award, is also matching dollar-for-dollar donations raised by their staff members taking part in the walk.
“There are people who are amazing, and especially in the beautiful Yarra Ranges and the Yarra Valley – people who want to give,” she said.
Ms Contarino said she hoped to start a Walk with Me event in every state by next year, to raise awareness and the profile of the cancer.
The Walk with Me event will start at 6am at Lilydale station, and is expected to finish at about 3.30pm.
For more information, to donate or to register, visit www.walkwithme4oca.com
